Connor Hurley was on top in the state of Minnesota this past season when he helped lead Edina High School to the Class 2A boy's state hockey title and he was leading the state again in Sunday's NHL Draft. Hurley was the first player with Minnesota ties selected in Sunday's seven-round draft, being taken by the Buffalo Sabres in the second round with the 38th overall pick. Minnetonka High School's Thomas Vannelli followed soon after at No. 47 overall by the St. Louis Blues in another draft littered with Minnesota talent. Hurley, a center, had 15 goals and 28 assists in 25 games for Edina this season. Vannelli, a defenseman, was actually the highest-rated Minnesotan in the NHL Central Scouting Service's final draft rankings, one spot ahead of Hurley. The third round saw three players with Minnesota ties come off the board. Taylor Cammarata, a University of Minnesota recruit, went No. 76 overall to the New York Islanders. Cammarata had 38 goals and 55 assists last season for Waterloo in the United States Hockey League. Forward Jake Guentzel, who spent last season with Sioux City in the USHL, is the son of Gophers assistant coach Mike Guentzel. Jake was drafted No. 77 by the Pittsburgh Penquins. Defense Keaton Thompson, from Edina, was drafted at No. 87 by the Anaheim Ducks after playing with the U.S. Under-18 team last year. Goaltender Stephon Williams was born in Alaska, but played last season with Minnesota State University- Mankato. Williams was picked by the Islanders in the fourth round at No. 106 overall. Hudson Fasching, a Milwaukee, Wisc., native, played at Apple Valley High School before joining the U.S. development program. Fasching, 70th on the Central Scouting's final ranking, was drafted in the fourth round at No. 118 overall. Vannelli, Cammarata and Fasching are all University of Minnesota recruits.
The fifth-round saw Minnesota natives Teemu Kivihalme (140th overall, Nashville), Blake Heinrich (No. 144, Washington), Grant Besse (No. 147, Anaheim) and Jonny Brodzinski (No. 148, Los Angeles) come off the board. Besse was the Mr. Hockey winner last season, given to the state's top prep player.
Michael Brodzinski, who is from Ham Lake, played with the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the USHL last year and his 16 goals were the most by a defensemen in the league since 2009-10. Brodzinksi was selected by the San Jose Sharks with the 141st overall selection. The hometown Wild drafted Grand Rapids center Avery Peterson in the sixth round with the 167th pick. Tartan High School center Jacob Jackson was selected by San Jose in the seventh round with the 201st pick. And Anthony Brodeur, who played at Shattuck-St. Mary's, was picked by the same team as his famous father, New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur with the 208th pick.
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